No, those screams emanating from the heart of LA Live’s Regal Cinemas had nothing to do with Friday night rush hour, and everything to do with the week long Screamfest’s opening night premiere of The Collection.

Directed by Marcus Dunstan and penned by Patrick Melton, these Saw franchise alums created a fresh take on the psychopathic serial killer and torturer genre in this well-directed and acted, crisp sequel to The Collector.

Unlike many sequels, this one holds up on its own and has a fresh spin on the continuity of the story line. Survivor and anti-hero Arkin (Josh Stewart) is still confined in one of the Collector’s trunks when Elena (Emma Fitzpatrick) stumbles on his confinement at an uber creepy nightclub. She lets him out, but soon finds herself trapped in his stead, as the Collector proceeds to mow down and mutilate most of the club goers, including her best friend Mandy.

Arkin escapes and is approached in the hospital by Elena’s dad and his team of rescue commandos, forced into service to help Elena escape, and we’re off and running with the filmmakers through an enormous multi-leveled haunted house of an abandoned hotel where the Collector keeps his collection – trapped girls with baby voices, mutilated zombie like torture victims, cases of body parts – you get the drift.

As the commando team keeps ignoring Arkin’s instructions and requests, they inevitably meet their demise, until its just Elena and Arkin himself against the Collector. Considering the subject matter, the film is remarkably free of the worst gore imaginable, and doesn’t make Elena into a helpless victim. Rather, she’s a resourceful helper to her own rescue team soon enough. Fast moving, fun, and with enough jumps and screams to keep an audience going, fans of the horror psycho genre should get plenty of enjoyment from this flick. Emma Fitzpatrick is a scene stealer with her gamin looks and expressive eyes.

After the film, a rousing Q and A included cast and crew, with audience members tweeting questions at the panel. Screamfest attendees were presented with candy dismembered fingers on foam trays, and an invite to a courtyard cocktail and hors d’oeuvres mingle at the Hotel Figueroa across the street. Appropriately darkly lit, with a view of the towering LA high-rises above it, the party was a fun way to connect with the cast and crew of the film, and toast Screamfest’s start with an ice cold Stella Artois or two.

This coming Saturday, the festival features a John Carpenter premiere with Q & A featuring the director.